John Keells X: What’s Happened So Far.

Right now, John Keells X is accelerating quite a few startups which are worth watching. The application phase ended with over 280 startups hoping to get shortlisted for the year-long accelerator program. After reviewing the applications, John Keells shortlisted 20 teams for the second phase of the program.

What these startups are benefitting from is an acceleration period leading into demo day in November. They're following the Disciplined Entrepreneurship curriculum and been having weekly check-ins with John Keells management to learn and keep refining and testing their ideas. Here's a quick look at what's happened in the last four weeks.

Week 1

The first meetup for JKX 2017 introduced the teams to each other as well as the mentors from John Keells who'll be guiding them through the program. This provides the teams with a unique opportunity to work directly with the relevant John Keells subsidiaries within their industry verticals.

Week 2

The second meetup featured Mr. Romesh David, President of the Transportation Sector at John Keells Holdings and CEO of South Asia Gateway Terminals. Mr. David spoke about the differences between corporate and startup work culture and how to balance the two. He spoke in detail about Cinnamon Air and the challenges they faced at the inception as well as the tech challenges they're currently facing.

Week 3

For the third week, JKX brought in Mr. ⁠⁠⁠Charitha Subasinghe, Executive VP of JKH and CEO of JMSL (Keells Super), who shared his experience in retail and spoke to the teams about how the founding principles at Keells Super set the stage for it's success today. He also discussed possible integrations of the JKX startups into Keells Super in order to improve productivity and customer experience.

Week 4 – The Hackathon

Week 4 of John Keells X 2017 posed the biggest challenge for the teams so far; The Hackathon. This wasn't your run of the mill hackathon though.

JKX brought down Marius Ursache and Vlad Bodi, co-founders of the Desciplined Entrepreneurship Toolboox based on the 24 step startup guide by Bill Aulet, Managing Director of the Center for MIT Entrepreneurship.

The hackathon spanned over two full days with both Marius and Vlad mentoring the teams on key elements related to startup growth like how to calculate their TAM (total addressable market), customer segmenation and personas, determinig life cycle use cases and validating key assumptions.

This proved to be pivotal to the startups who, by the end of hackathon, had a new perspective on their business models and had vastly improved their initial pitch.


What's Next?

So that's the story so far. In the coming weeks the teams will continue apply their learnings from both the mentors and the Desciplined Entrepreneurship Toolbox to further refine their products and put the pedal to the metal to be ready for Demo Day.

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on whatsapp

Highlights.

Latest.

KAMU.

Iftar delights at The Banyan, Heritance Negombo

Iftar delights at The Banyan, Heritance Negombo Written by Fathima Rukaiya, Mad Dogs Bodega, Banyan

Highlights Kamu

Budget-friendly Iftar spots 2024

Written by Fathima Rukaiya, In our previous article, we highlighted some exquisite and upscale Iftar

Highlights Kamu

Iftar Buffet Round Up 2024

Written by Fathima Rukaiya As Ramadan arrives, a warm feeling of reflection and community fills

Highlights Kamu

Discovering Pasta Paradise: The Pasta Factory, Galle Fort

In the historic Galle Fort, The Pasta Factory brings a taste of Italy to Sri

Highlights Kamu

A Home for Desi Dreams – Bombay Nights by Radisson Colombo

As we stepped into the ‘Dine’ in Radisson Colombo, our senses were immediately tantalized by

Highlights Kamu

Steak Bar: A Grand Sunday Brunch at Kingsbury, Colombo

Written by Shamrina C Welcome to the ultimate brunch experience! Nestled in the heart of

Highlights Kamu Yamu Guide

Trending.

Experience the Elegance and Excitement of RTC Tourism Race Day in Nuwara Eliya

RTC Nuwara Eliya will hold its RTC Tourism Race Day on 30th March 2024 at

Trending

“85th Annual Mount Lavinia 2-Mile Sea Swim” by SLASU held at the Mount Lavinia Hotel Beach

The "85th Annual Mount Lavinia 2-Mile Sea Swim" organized by Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union

Trending

Sheraton Colombo Hotel celebrates International Women’s Day with empowering insights

Sheraton Colombo Hotel, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 extraordinary brands, marked International

Trending

Anantara Kalutara Presents an Elevated Gastronomic Journey to Italy

Kalutara, Sri Lanka - March 14, 2024 - Anantara Kalutara Resort is delighted to announce

Trending

List of Party Venues 2024

By Fathima Rukaiya Finding the perfect place to host a party can be a hassle.

Highlights Trending

LCY Unveils Debut ‘LCY for Her’ Collection, Redefining Women’s Polo Wear with Strength, and Sophistication

Thursday, 14, March, 2024, Colombo: LCY, a brand synonymous with manufacturing high-quality men’s polos of

Trending

Yamu Guide.

Steak Bar: A Grand Sunday Brunch at Kingsbury, Colombo

Written by Shamrina C Welcome to the ultimate brunch experience! Nestled in the heart of

Highlights Kamu Yamu Guide

9 Special Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Him

By Fathima Rukaiya Are you trying to find the perfect way to show your special

Highlights Yamu Guide

9 Special Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Her

Written by Fathima Rukaiya The season of love is upon us once more, and opinions

Highlights Yamu Guide

Romantic Dinner and High Tea date spots for Valentine’s Day  2024

Written by Shamrina C 1. Via Torino Indulge in a fine dining exclusive 3-Course meal

Highlights Yamu Guide

BYOB Bliss: 16 Places to you can Bring Your Own Bottle!

Written by Shamrina C 1. Giovannis Indulge in Italian flavors, grooving music, pet friendly, and

Highlights Yamu Guide

Unveiling Ramada’s Festive Christmas High Tea Extravaganza!

Written by Shamrina C Mark your calendars for the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of December,

Highlights Yamu Guide